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12-Jun-2001
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Arch Hellen Med, 17(6), November-December 2000, 609-612
SHORT COMMUNICATION
Glycopeptide-resistant Enterococcus faecium infections
in a Greek intensive care unit
Report of the first four cases
C. ROUTSI,1
E. PLATSOUKA,2 A. ARMAGANIDIS,1
G. SAROGLOU,3 O. PANIARA,2
C. ROUSSOS1
1Department
of Critical Care, Medical School, University of Athens,
2Department of Clinical Microbiology,
3Department of Internal Medicine, “Evangelismos”
General Hospital, Athens, Greece
The first four cases of glycopeptide-resistant Enterococcus faecium (GRE) infections in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the “Evangelismos” General Hospital during 1999 are reported. In three patients the GRE strains were isolated from blood and in one patient from the pus in a surgical wound. All the patients had high illness severity scores at admission and the three bacteremic patients had a long ICU stay and prolonged vancomycin or teicoplanin treatment. The phenotype of all E. faecium strains was VanA. These cases confirm the emergence of GRE infections in Greece. The need is emphasized for intensive hygiene measures directed at the control and the prevention of GRE transmission.
Key words: Enterococcus faecium, Glycopeptide resistance ICU, Infection.
